Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures

SLA268. Fall 2024

THE COSSACKS!

Class meets on Wednesdays from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM in Alumni Hall 107

Assignment 2 is due at the beginning of class November 13, 2024.

You must write a brief essay of about 600 words, less than two pages. Essays should be formatted with 1 inch margins, double spacing, and 12 point type.
You don't need an extra page for your name and the title or another extra page for references to works cited (If you cite the novel, you need to indicate a reference). Write clearly. Choose the right words, shape your ideas into meaningful sentences, and structure your argument into cohesive paragraphs. Make sure you say EXACTLY what you mean, not something almost similar to what you thought you might want to say. Be brief and get to your point directly, without lengthy introductions or digressions. Express your insights. Demonstrate that you have given some consideration to the ideas you are expressing and that you understand how these ideas relate to other ways of looking at the topic.

The specific assignment is this:
Write an original, interesting, and insightful analysis of the presentation of the character Yeroshka in Leo Tolstoy's novel The Cossacks, which we are reading for discussion in class. What qualities in particular make him attractive to Olenin? This topic can easily grow to a length greater than 2 pages, but try to keep your essay brief.

Your essay will be judged for the quality of writing and for the logic of your analysis (did you pursue your own ideas to their ultimate significance?). Your essays are not being judged on the thoroughness of your research. Your essays are not being judged by what you know about Tolstoy or the Russian expansion into the Caucasus. Express your OWN understanding of the works and the effects the author is attempting to convey. Make sure that any ideas that are not your own are credited to their actual source. You don't need anyone else's ideas, but if you use them, cite them.